Ever wonder why the heater control in almost every SAAB 99 is broken? First, the control in the dash is entirely plastic including a tiny post that is expected to push and pull on a Bowden cable to open and close the valve.

When the car was apart I worked on the controls and original valve. I cleaned up the Bowden cable and worked graphite into it. While it operates smoothly, the valve seal had degraded so it is impossible to turn off the heater completely. Wish I had found this part when I had everything torn apart, but maybe at the next coolant flush I’ll replace it.

Just about everything has been finished up. I’ve got the dash finished up, hood latch working and the original style grille temporarily installed. The short list of what is left:

1. bumper stainless steel strips – need to make custom brackets to accommodate them on the later 1970s bumpers
2. adjust the doors and hood so they hang more properly
3. install side molding
4. paint and install badges

I’ll include a photo of the switch panel section as well. I ended up using the teak wood since it looked and smelled great. I imagine on hot days the car is going to smell of teak rather than gasoline! Teak was a little tricky because it tended to chip and splinter much easier than the walnut test did. I used 600, 1200 and finally 2000 grit sand paper with linseed oil and wax to finish.

I decided to go with Teak laminate rather than Walnut. Teak has a nicer grain, and smells good too. However, it does seem a little more difficult to work with. I’ve ironed on the laminate and will cut out the switch holes and sand.